Nuclear
by comicbookfan23
Summary: AU - Season 8 - 5/13 - Clark and Ollie get their hands tied when dealing with a super-villain whose powers over mass duplication and super-strength make him rather formidable! Not until a new hero comes to their aid! MAJOR SLASH!
1. Author's Note & The Cast!

**Author's Note:** I've never read a comic involving Firestorm or Multiplex but I've read about them on DC Database's website; about their origins, and their powers, so I thought I'd bring them into the _Smallville_ universe. Please forgive me if I don't capture their characteristics but think of them as my rendition of what they'd be like if introduced into _Smallville_.

Anyways, back to the story and I hope you enjoy reading it as I do writing it.

**Author's Note 2:** Sorry it's taking me ages to upload the next chapter, but I've got a touch of the dreaded Writer's Block. I do admit I've recently updated one of my other stories, but for some reason I'm having trouble updating this one. Don't worry, I'm still continuing the series so please bear with me. I'm writing up the next chapter as we speak and I'm hoping *fingers crossed* that I can upload it ASAP. Thanks for your patience! That goes for those of you who are following my Supernatural series, which I'm also having trouble with, but it's not in hiatus or anything. I will continue and hopefully update it soon! :))

* * *

**The Cast**

Tom Welling - Clark Kent

Allison Mack - Chloe Sullivan

Erica Durance - Lois Lane

Aaron Ashmore - Jimmy Olsen

Cassidy Freeman - Tess Mercer

Justin Hartley - Oliver Queen/Green Arrow

**Supporting Cast**

Max Ehrich - Ronnie Raymond/Firestorm

Bill Fagerbakke - Martin Stein

Lochlyn Munro - Danton Black/Multiplex

Keri Lynn - Catherine "Cat" Grant

Mark Harmon - Frank Berkowitz

(Anymore important roles will be added as the episode progresses, lesser roles will be deemed as "extras")


	2. Just A Regular Night for Firestorm!

**Manhattan, New York City**

It's closing time for all the stores and businesses here in 'The Big Apple'. Different kinds of safes are electronically locked, shutters are pulled down and padlocked, and all staff, except for the security of course, are packing up and leaving for home.

It's around this time that a certain _someone_ or _super-criminal_ chooses to 'take the floor', visiting these places at exactly the same time. For this super-villain had acquired such an ability when involved in a certain 'accident' that had occurred several years prior. And _not_ by some 'freak' meteor shower, mind you, but by another means entirely.

Clad wholly from head to toe in black spandex with a dark green circle imprinted on his chest and two parallel lines etched vertically over the eyes of his mask, the super-villain stood in front of one of the most important buildings ever to be built in New York City.

The American Museum of Natural History.

There's a section in there that he's particularly interested in and it housed certain 'trinkets' that are worth millions of dollars, if sold to the right buyer of course. The _Star of India_, a star sapphire, and the _DeLong Star Ruby_, an oval cabochon star ruby.

As he stands in front of the main entrance, two exact 'copies' of himself split from his original body, which he calls his 'duploids', via his power of bio-fission and gives them their orders, his voice soft as though whispering, "Alright you two, you know what to do."

His duplicates merely nod, understanding what he wants them to do, before they're right in front of the glass, their fists clenching and pulling back, punching forward until they're showering in glass shards, all in different shapes and sizes.

Nevertheless, the glass simply bounces off the duplicates' bodies, their heightened durability capable of withstanding injuries of all kinds and impacts, to a certain extent of course.

Naturally, this sets off the building's high-tech security system but the original's not at all worried because he's on a mission, and whenever he's on a mission, nothing gets in his way. As anticipated, two security guards armed with their stun batons, which sparked with short burst of electricity, appeared from their booth to apprehend them.

The villain sneered, his arms crossed over his chest as he mentally commands his duploids to take them down quickly and quietly. Not wanting to waste time with them when they can do their 'mission' just as swiftly. The guards waste no time in charging at them, stun batons held high and ready to strike but their 'attempts', if you can call them that, are futile against Multiplex's duploids. Within a few seconds, the guards are knocked out cold, one's even thrown back against the security booth's wall, his back cracking its window.

Like he thought before, whenever he wants something badly, _nothing_ gets in his way. Well, except for…

"Well, well, well," a seemingly young voice occurs from somewhere behind him, and when the black-costumed villain turns on the spot to see who it belongs to, he's not the least bit surprised, "Seems like you haven't learnt your lesson yet, have you Multiplex?"

Descending from the air the hero known to those who reside in New York City as Firestorm, sporting a red and yellow spandex costume complete with puffy sleeves and a sun emblem etched over his heart with rays radiating from it, lands just a few feet away from his arch-enemy. The corona of flame that's encircling around his head, similar to that of a halo, gives off a incandescent radiance that brightens up the night a bit.

The villain stares at the floating hero, laughing callously, "Why, if it isn't my annoying little nemesis, Firestorm! Sadly, I have no time for you right now but rather than be a old spoilsport, I'm gonna let you enjoy getting pulverized by my duploids here."

The two duploids step forward, standing firm as though like statues, while Multiplex takes two steps back. A second later, he mentally duplicates another three more, now balancing the odds to his favour, 5-1.

Firestorm's halo burns a little brighter, signifying the hero's excitement as the duploids stampede him all at once. A few seconds later the duploids find themselves spearing straight through him, as if he's a ghost, ending up in a pile on the asphalt. He'd just altered his body's density, making him insubstantial enough to phase through them.

However, the duploids are quick to their feet and are already on the offensive as they go to tackle Firestorm again. This time, the fiery hero flies into the air, firing off blasts of nuclear energy as he goes, which take the duploids out with impressive force but it seems to him that the more he takes down, the more Multiplex duplicates himself until it looks like he's up against a small army.

Hovering in the air Firestorm surveys the area, evidently noticing that Multiplex's duploids have completely blocked the front entrance. He may be able to take down a few of them but they'd eventually overcome him and then he'd been in a whole heap of trouble. In the corner of his eye, he detects one of them slipping away, further into the museum, denoting that that's the real Multiplex.

So, silently asking for forgiveness to the director of the AMNH for what's he about to do, he soars higher into the air and in the direction of the roof, remembering that above a certain room lies a glass window that he can easily smash through. In seconds, the Hall of Minerals and Gems' showered with glass, raining like diamonds, as Firestorm descends through the now glassless window, releasing an energy blast that hits Multiplex square in the back.

"AARRGGHH!" He hollers, the sudden attack sweeping him off his feet and into the nearby exhibit. Luckily, for Firestorm that is, the exhibit's under repairs so there isn't much damage done to it, as Multiplex climbs out from under it…and another one…and another one. Now the three Multiplexes stand before the red-and-yellow hero, and now he's starting to worry if he _can_ take him down but he _must_! He's the Museum's only hope of making sure that nothing gets too _badly_ damaged.

"Face it, Firestorm! How can you hope to defeat me when I can duplicate an entire army?" Multiplex asks smugly, as though he believes he's truly won this battle even though it hasn't really started yet.

"Simple," Firestorm says, floating a little closer to the ground but still staying buoyant, "I use brain instead of brawn." He then raises his hands, yellow energy emitting from them brightly, and almost immediately the ground beneath Multiplex and his duploids begins to swallow them up, as though like quicksand.

With his full concentration on the task at hand, Firestorm doesn't notice that several of the duploids, the ones guarding the front entrance, have entered the room and one of them is flying towards him, fist held back, ready to strike.

It does so, with impressive force, launching the fiery hero across the air and crashing on top of one of the glass exhibits that holds precious gemstones and minerals within. He might not be as invulnerable as the Martian Manhunter or Aquaman or even Cyborg from the "Justice League" he's been reading about in the papers, but he can withstand some impact, clambering back onto his feet to find the Multiplex, who grounded him, regrouping with the others. All now advancing on him.

Firestorm knows that he needs to end this quickly if he's got any hope of catching Multiplex, the _real _Multiplex, but he's reluctant to attack, worrying that he might wreck the place even more in the process. However, seeing as his back's just crushed one of the exhibits, he feels that a few more wouldn't hurt.

_The profit they earn from the millions of visits they have a year will surely cover the damages…right?_ Firestorm surmises, his fists glowing brightly before unleashing an arc of nuclear energy, sending several of the duploids back, some through the wall, some on top of more glass exhibits.

Instantaneously, Firestorm flew into the air in pursuit of Multiplex, who'd disappeared down the corridor while he was fighting his duploids, and found him, with his two 'lackeys', standing in the middle of the Hall of Human Biology and Evolution.

Multiplex lifts his arms into the air, as though he's about to give a great speech, which wouldn't surprise Firestorm in the least, "Glad you could finally join me, Firestorm, but alas, I must depart. You've ruined my chance in stealing some of the world's most valuable jewels so I leave you now with a parting gift," he then looks to the twin duploids standing either side of him, "Boys, go have fun!"

The duploids nod in understanding, their attention now fully on Firestorm, who's standing defensively waiting for their attack, as they fly into the air. Together, arms stretching out, fists clenching, they attempt to strike their fiery adversary with a drill-like move but Firestorm immediately uses his phasing ability to allow himself to pass through them.

As expected, the duploids punch nothing but the polished floor beneath them, creating two small craters where their hands and feet are. Returning to normal, Firestorm unleashes a nuclear energy burst, hitting one of them square in the back, hurling him straight into the wall. The other retaliates quickly, rushing towards him, with his fist held back, in an attack that mirrors exactly what the other duploid had done earlier on. Countering this, Firestorm punches the duploid hard in the gut before flipping it over onto its back and knocking it out with a kick to the face.

When he catches his breath and is satisfied that there's no more opposition, he watches in amazement as the duploids suddenly dissolve into a gaseous-like state and float back to the real Multiplex, who's nowhere to be seen and probably long gone by now.

"_You know, being a Nobel Prize-winner and all, that still manages to amaze me. Thus is the power of fission_," the astounded voice inside Firestorm's head articulates, one that doesn't belong to the hero himself but rather to one nuclear physicist, Martin Stein.

"I was wondering when you'd start talking, I thought for a minute there that you were finally out of my hair." Firestorm quips, flying into the air once again on his way back to the entrance to face the police and, inevitably, the press.

"_You know that's not going to happen until you transform back into _Ronnie Raymond_ again_."

Seeing the flashing red and blue lights of several police cars parked outside, Firestorm gradually descends back down to the ground, ready to face his _adoring _public, "Alright, time to face the music."

"_Just don't let them get to you, alright Ronnie? You remember what happened last time they did and just think yourself lucky that they didn't lock you up in Belle Reve. The proper one they've built to hold metahumans like yourself, not the one that's posing as an insane asylum_."

Ronnie just grunts, knowing exactly what he's talking about but not wanting to talk about it any further as he meets up with the Chief of Police, who looks to be in a foul mood, "What the hell did you do this time, Firestorm?!"

The Chief's face's red with frustration, mostly anger, and Firestorm raises his hands in a peaceful gesture, "Easy there, Chief. I just impeded Multiplex's attempt in stealing whatever he was going for in there. You should be thanking me, not shouting at me!"

"I would do but you've probably caused a gold mine's worth of damage in the process! Can't you superheroes do a job without tearing up the place?"

* * *

Meanwhile, as Firestorm and the Chief of Police continue to shout at each other, somewhere several blocks away, taking cover in a dark alley, Multiplex recuperates and ponders on what he's going to do next when his eyes spot something on top of a nearby dustbin.

Taking it out he notices that it's today's paper and its headline reads: "**MAYOR TO REOPEN SPIFFANY'S IN METROPOLIS TOMORROW!**"

Behind his mask Multiplex sneers, "Well," he utters as he throws the newspaper back in the dustbin, "I know where I'm going...where they'll be no Firestorm to stop me!"


	3. Helping a Friend!

**Kent Farm, Smallville, Kansas**

Being a Saturday, and also his day-off, Clark simply has no reason to get out of bed as he mumbles his satisfaction. Mumbling in unison is the love of his life, Oliver Queen, who's lying with his back to him, with the duvet wrapping nicely around his naked body.

Turning to his side, so his naked front's facing Ollie's back, Clark slides up to his still sleeping lover and kisses him softly on the neck, his hand resting nicely on Ollie's hip.

"Mmm," Clark moans, loving the taste that is _one_ Oliver Queen, as he changes to sucking on that particular spot that he'd learned some time ago is the blonde's weak-spot, "Good morning, handsome." He sucks some more, hard enough to bruise, "God, you taste _so_ good."

Having woke up just a few seconds ago but not having the energy to move, not after last night anyway, Ollie swerves his head to the side, enough so he can see Clark's face and smiles, "Good morning to you too, beautiful. So," he starts before he twists his body round so he's now facing Clark, "Now that you've woken me up, what's on today's agenda?"

Before Clark can answer, he leans over and kisses Ollie softly on the lips, passionate and not at all forceful like it was last night. He then pulls back, hearing the moan leave through Ollie's lips and bringing a smile to the young reporter's face, "We could stay in bed all day. How does that sound?"

Ollie responds with a quick kiss, lying his head back onto the pillow, "That sounds great," and he's about to say something else they should do in bed when they hear a loud thud somewhere downstairs. Clark swiftly uses his x-ray vision and smirks at what he's seeing down below.

"…Looks like that'll have to wait 'til later. It appears that Lois' has woken up and is now feeling the full effect of a hangover. I'd better get dressed and help her out." Clark then climbs out of bed, slinging his side of the duvet to one side, his naked, well-developed body shining in the mid-morning Sun.

Ollie moans at the sudden loss of Clark's body and warmth before eventually doing the same as his lover. He too climbs out of bed, naked as the day he was born, lifting his arms into the air and giving out a long, cat-like stretch, feeling completely relaxed afterwards. He's about to bend over and grab his boxers off the floor when Clark sneaks up behind, fully dressed thanks to his super-speed, and wraps his arms around him, smothering the side of his neck with soft kisses.

"Mmhmm…you taste _so_ good," Clark moans between kisses, massaging Ollie's pecs, his thumb and forefinger on both hands twiddling his nipples to make them as hard as bullets.

"Smallville!?" The couple hear Lois' voice calling Clark from downstairs and he instantly releases a moan, not wanting to leave Ollie looking so _delectable_, "Okay, that's enough for now, stud. The beautiful _damsel _appears to be in distress." Ollie enlightens, a grin on his face as he gently pushes himself away from Clark, hearing another moan leave the young reporter's lips as he makes his way over to the door, kissing him on the lips as he passes.

"Hey, give her a break, Ollie. You've seen what state she was in when we left Chloe and Jimmy's engagement party last night. If anything would've happened to her if I let her drive home drunk, I'd never forgive myself," Clark explains, watching as Ollie crosses his arms, one side of his mouth creasing upwards. A gesture Clark understands to be Ollie's jealous look.

"Ah hah…is there something you might want to tell me, Clark?" Ollie asks, but before he can continue mocking Clark with pretend jealousy, his lips are abruptly attacked by said person, their lips and tongues clashing together, leaving them both breathless when they finish.

"I have nothing to say, Ollie, and you've nothing to worry about. Lois' one of my closest friends, next to Chloe and Jimmy, and I care about her. As _friends_, you understand." He then kisses Ollie again, backing away to see him smiling, knowing full well that Ollie knew he and Lois are just friends, nothing else.

"You _do_ understand that I was kidding, right? I know that you'd never do anything to hurt me. Now, go before she comes barging in here and sees me like this." Ollie pushes him gently towards the door again, Clark laughing at what he'd just said.

"See you downstairs. I'll be making breakfast for the both of you," Clark announces, winking at him as he walks out of there, leaving Ollie to grin at the fact that he's completely exultant to have Clark in his life and to slip on some clothes…

* * *

A few minutes earlier, Lois, who's sprawled out on the living room couch, slowly opens her eyes, blinking as her sight adjusts to the shaded light coming through the closed curtains and to the strange surroundings. As she sits up, her mind tries to recall what essentially happened last night at Chloe and Jimmy's engagement party and how she got to sleeping on Clark's couch.

Looking around she finds the place eerily quiet, no-one in the kitchen and her ears can't pick any voices coming from the next door rooms. _Could they still be asleep too?_ Lois asks herself, calling out for Clark just to make sure.

"Smallville!?"

As though like magic, Clark appears seemingly out of nowhere, fully clothed, his regular blue t-shirt and jeans, and holding a glass of cold water in one hand. Before handing it to Lois, he drops two tablets in which will help her with her hangover, fizzing as it starts to dissolve into the water.

"Good morning Lois. Thought you might need one of these." He offers her the glass, the smile on his face revealing his pearly whites, as she takes it without question or her usual sarcasm.

Lois' eyes dart from Clark to her dress hanging loosely on Martha Kent's antique spinning wheel, and back to Clark, her head suddenly filling with all sorts of weird and awkward thoughts. Lois quickly realizes that it's probably best if she just got it out into the open than facing the dreaded humiliation when Ollie eventually shows his face to scream all sorts of obscenity "Please, tell me we didn't…" She didn't finish the rest of the sentence, thinking Clark's smart enough to catch the jist of it.

Clark's eyes crease in confusion, obviously not catching her drift.

Her mind huffs in frustration that Clark isn't getting it so, to make it easier for him, she nods her head in the direction of her dress, accompanied with a sharp, "Ah, hum."

Now he gets what she's trying to verbalize, letting out a short huff of a laugh, walking in the dress' direction, "You know, you're hysterical when you're hung-over, Lois." He then picks up the crimson garment and flings it onto the space beside her, Lois's eyes meanwhile never leaving Clark as he states with that smile still on his face, "Don't worry…you got changed all by yourself. In the kitchen, for like an hour. Kept myself and Ollie amused."

Lois endeavours to blot that little piece of information from her mind as she takes a sip from the drink Clark offered her but makes a face when she catches a good whiff of it. She places it carefully on the coffee table and notices the large bowl which would've contained something incredibly gross, but thankfully Clark cleaned it out when he was absolutely sure Lois wasn't going to throw up anything else before he went to bed.

"I take it I took a little drive on the porcelain highway." She states, knowing full well that she did, thanks to the bad aftertaste in her mouth which reminds her to brush her teeth once she's back at the Talon.

"More like a cross-country trip." Clark answers before brusquely opening the curtains, the Sun shining right into Lois' eyes, causing her to jump back in her seat, her right hand guarding them from the dazzling light. She lets out a deep sigh as this has caused her headache to worsen, "Look, Smallville, you two didn't have to look after me last night. I would've been perfectly fine on my own back at the Talon."

He shakes his head, hands on his hips, "Well, I don't think Jimmy and Chloe would've appreciated a Whitesnake sing-along, do you?" His smile gets bigger and all Lois can do is huff at him when she suddenly realizes something.

"Chloe." Lois' up on her feet, picking up her dress on the way up as she looks around the floor frantically for her shoes, "Err, I was supposed to meet her for a dress fitting first thing this morning."

Ollie chooses this moment to enter the scene, garbing a green t-shirt, weirdly in the same style as Clark's, a pair of slim, faded jeans and some nice-looking trainers, catching the last part of what she just said, "I've got some business to attend to in Metropolis. I could give you a lift on my way there?" He offers with a smile as bright as Clark's on his face. For that split-second, Lois thinks that they appear more like twins than a fully-fledged couple.

Having enough of their hospitality for one day, Lois stops them in their tracks with a gesture, "Alright boys, you may've held my hair, but I don't want you two holding my hand. This may shock you but I can still drive a car." She states, sliding her feet into her high-heels, garbed in one of Clark's old high-school football jersey, which thankfully fits her like a dress.

"Not if it's not here." Clark answers, his hands in his jean pockets as he steps a little closer to Lois, Ollie using the kitchen counter behind her to check he hasn't forgotten anything before he leaves for Metropolis. "This might come as a shock, but you were in no condition to get behind the wheel."

Having lost this battle Lois lets out a defeated sigh, a crack of a smile forming on her lips, "Thanks for the ride?" She then turns around to face Ollie, "Does your offer for a lift still stand?"

Ollie has to smile, his pearly whites on full effect, "Of course."

"Great, I'll just make myself look more…presentable." She then disappears up the stairs to the bathroom, her heeled feet clicking hard against the polished flooring, leaving the couple on their own, if only for a few minutes.

"So," Clark utters, stepping up to Ollie, who's still checking that he's got everything, "What's your business up in Metropolis? Is it the usual, boring business or the "dressing up in green leather" business?" Clark's left smiling after saying that as Ollie looks up and leans forward, kissing him softly on the lips before backing up, "The usual, boring business, I'm afraid. I'll only be a couple of hours, tops. Then we can get back to our proposed Saturday routine." He leans in for another kiss, longer this time, more passionate. Just to show Clark what he's going to be in for later.

"Hmm, I can't wait." Clark has a feeling that today's going to be a good day…


	4. A Truce and Ronnie's Obvious Crush!

**The Daily Planet, Metropolis**

As the elevator pings to signal its passengers that it's reached their designated floor, two of them, Ms. Tess Mercer and one of her many assistants Melinda, exit quickly. The doors close abruptly as soon as they're out of the small cab.

On their way to her office, Tess' looking at the piece of paper in her hand and huffs irately, "What! What do you mean you can't find the IP address?" She wants to slam her hand down on a table to express her anger for this incompetence, but that'd be unprofessional.

Melinda, who's following shortly behind her, her arms behind her back, answers immediately, not wanting to anger Tess even more, "The email came through a ghost router, ma'am. As soon as we saw it, the router vanished from the grid."

Tess suddenly turns on the spot, facing Melinda who nearly collides into her, and placing a sharp hand on her hip, the other occupied in carrying some files she's going to look at once she's in her office and left in peace.

"At the very least, this could prove Mr. Luthor is still alive, ma'am," Melinda replies, stepping back so as not to be in Tess' personal space.

"Firstly, Melinda was it? Enough with the "ma'am". It makes me sound old. Tess is just fine and secondly, it could prove that someone's toying with me." She says, her cheeks a little flustered at the very thought of it. "Find out who took the crystal. Or find yourself a new line of work."

"Yes ma - I mean Tess," Melinda nods before disappearing down the corridor, leaving Tess to exhale loudly, reminding herself that it's all going to be worthwhile in the end.

Finally entering her office and loving the peace and quiet within, she's about to walk to her desk and literally throw the files she's holding on top of it, that's how she feels at the moment, when someone unexpected reveals themselves turning in her rotating chair in order to face her head on.

"You know what's amazing to me? You can't find the time to return my calls…but you do manage to fit it into your _busy _schedule…to buy the Star City Towers right out from under me." Oliver Queen replies, a beaming smile on his face, but Tess can tell that there's a little anger, annoyance, behind the expression and there should after hearing such hearsay behind his back.

Tess' mouth curves up on one side, her right eyebrow doing the same, amused at the fact that she's gotten under Oliver's skin. _Queen Industries 0, Luthorcorp 1_. "Business is business."

"Well," Ollie starts, climbing out of her seat, "This isn't about business. And to be honest with you," he replies as he stands behind it, turning it so she can sit down before he leans down until his lips are just near her ears, whispering softly, "Revenge isn't your best colour." It's almost seductive as his breath tickles both her ear and her hair, causing her skin to goose-pimple.

"Don't flatter yourself," she retorts, her mouth once a forming a sneer, "One of the most important things that Lex taught me…is that you can't afford to live in the past." She then refers to the files she's just placed on her desk, sifting them for something in particular.

With his hand on his hip and the other leaning on the back of her chair, Ollie stands up right and asks, "Did Professor Luthor also teach you about deception? How about _obsession_? I hear his class in murder's an easy A."

"He's done more for this world than you ever will, Oliver," she says without even looking at him, concentrating more on the files than the annoying presence standing behind her. "He dedicated his life to making it a safer place." The look she gives Ollie is one of reassurance that what she's saying is the truth.

Ollie doesn't believe it, will never believe a single bit of it as he shakes his head, leaning back down again, "You know, Mercy, it seems to me…like Lex may have been a little bit more than just a mentor." Now it's his turn to get under her skin. _Queen Industries 1, Luthorcorp 1_.

Turning to face him, Tess answers in a stern voice, "If you're done wasting my time, I have phone calls to make."

The air in the room's a little tight, Ollie feeling a little claustrophobic as he pushes himself off her table, walking around it with his hands in his pockets. Just before he leaves, he turns around abruptly, "Look, I'm sorry. Really, I am. I didn't come here just to battle with you. Actually, I came here to raise the white flag."

At hearing this, it tears her away from her files and looks up at him, a surprised look on her face, "How civil. What do you propose, a truce?" She asks, her attention fully on him now instead of the files on her desk.

"Well, truce, yeah…over lunch right now," Ollie expresses with a large smile, his white teeth gleaming in the sunlight.

Tess' eyebrows crease, confused at what Ollie trying to entail, "Are you implying what I think you're implying? Because the last time I checked, you're in a very serious relationship with one of my employees. What's he going to think when he finds out that you've been _sweet_ with his boss?" She then hints with her eyebrows, but Ollie just laughs at her, "You know, sometimes a meal's just a meal and just to let you know, my relationship with _Clark_ is strictly none of your business."

Amused at his defending of his relationship with one Clark Kent, Tess looks upon the digital clock on her desk and utters, "You do realize that it's almost 1 o'clock? We've got to be at the reopening of 'Spiffany's' by 2 o'clock at the latest, you know…being 'Guests of Honour' and all."

Ollie stands up straight, that smile still on his face, "Well, we better get crackin'. Don't want to disappoint the Mayor, now do we?"

Tess gets up from her chair, her eyes on the files, _The files can wait and besides, I need something to distract me from the disappearance of that crystal_, she contemplates as she bends her knees to pick up her handbag by her chair and smiles, "Okay…lead on Oliver."

* * *

**Lacey's Department Store, Metropolis**

Meanwhile, a few blocks away from Spiffany's, Ronnie and a group of his school mates are on a school day trip to Metropolis and have already seen some of its most treasured landmarks including the Emperor Building, Centennial Park and the Daily Planet. Now in Lacey's, their teacher, Ms. Flannigan, had told them that they had an hour to browse and buy whatever they liked before they were on their way again to Spiffany's in time to watch the reopening. Which would be an absolute _joy _for Ronnie and his pals if they weren't so bored to death.

There's nothing in Lacey's that they're particularly interested in as they nonchalantly walk down the aisles, looking at pointless objects that are obviously priced too high than the normal rate, but still manage to sucker people into buying them.

"Wow, could this day get anymore boring?" Cliff Carmichael, one of Ronnie's close friends, huffs, rolling his eyes as he shoves his hands into his jean pockets, a usual gesture that Ronnie understands means that he's now beyond boredom.

Ronnie has to smile at his easily bored friend, "Come on Cliff, give Metropolis a break. It's got some pretty cool sights and don't forget that you wanted to go on this field trip in order to avoid going college today."

Without realizing, they find themselves in the gardening section and Ronnie just happens to be standing next to the flower stand, a bunch of beautiful red roses catching his eye.

It immediately makes him contemplate about his growing affection to one Doreen Day, the most gorgeous girl he's ever seen with hair that shines like gold in the sunlight, blue eyes that sparkle like diamonds, skin that's probably soft to the touch, a slender, toned body that tells him she definitely looks after herself and a personality that made her both smart and funny.

"Hey Romeo? Did you even hear a word I just said?" He hears Cliff ask in the background, Ronnie too enthused in his mental description concerning the girl of his dreams to listen to him.

He shakes it away, his attention back on his best friend, "Err…what? No, sorry Cliff. I was miles away there." He tries to hide his "unawareness" with his usual wide grin that would get him out of anything, but Cliff's smart enough to see through it.

"Yeah, sure you were Ronnie. You were busy thinking about Doreen again, weren't you?" Cliff shakes his head in sheer wonderment of his friend and his inability to ask the girl out, "Dude…you're gonna miss your chance with her if you don't tell her soon. I'm telling ya, a smart girl that pretty ain't gonna stay single for long. You'd better make your move soon or you'll be blaming yourself for not having the guts to."

He then places a comforting hand on Ronnie's shoulder, a gesture he doesn't show too often, and declares, "You know I'm right on this, Ronnie. Don't leave it too late. I don't want to be picking up your sorry ass when you don't and she ends up with someone else." He then slaps the area of shoulder his hand was just occupying before following after the other students when their teacher announces that it's time to move on to the next area of interest; a chance to see the reopening of Spiffany's, a highly popular, yet expensive, jewellery store, leaving Ronnie to ponder on what he'd just said.

_You know he's right_, the voice in his head replies, _If you don't take your chance now, you'll never forgive yourself_. It and Cliff are right, Ronnie admits, needing to buck his ideas up right now and ask Doreen out or it's eventually going to kill him from the inside out.

So, when he sees the girl of his dreams walking ahead with her friends and the other students, her hair shining like gold once it hits the sunlight, like he'd described earlier in his mental portrayal of her, he nods his head to tell himself that he's ready and follows on, catching up with Cliff as he notifies him of his plan to ask Doreen out.


	5. The Birth of Nightwing!

**Outside Spiffany's, Metropolis**

It's near enough 2 o'clock. Everyone's busy getting themselves ready outside the infamous jewellery store that had been built in the 1930s and was tragically burnt down in the 1980s, by unknown means. Now, it's been rebuilt to restore the former glory that it was so famous for and to give another good name to the city of Metropolis.

Amongst all the reporters, anchormen and women, cameramen and photographers, Clark Kent, Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen have joined the mass, their voice recorders at the ready, Jimmy's camera locked and loaded.

"Thanks again for helping me out last night, Smallville. That was very selfless of you…and Ollie," Lois expresses her gratitude, even though Clark can tell by her body language and the sound of her voice that she was having some difficulty putting it across.

After Ollie had dropped her off back at the Talon, Lois had already found the place deserted, cursing herself for forgetting to accompany Chloe to the dress-fitting. After a lengthy apology over the phone with Chloe, who figured that she wouldn't be able to accompany her after all the drinks she'd downed at her engagement party last night, Lois hit the shower. After that, Lois dried herself off, slipped into something more presentable; a cream-coloured silk blouse, a beige pencil skirt to go with it and a pair of auburn high-heels, and headed off straight to the Daily Planet.

There, she was approached by the boss herself, Tess Mercer, and was informed that she, Clark and Jimmy were covering the reopening of Spiffany's scoop, which is where they are right this minute.

"It's no problem, Lois. I always take care of my closest friends when they're in need…Ollie too of course," he responds, looking away again to admire the effort the people had put into the decoration of the reopening of Spiffany's, remembering a time not long ago, before attending his father's funeral to be exact, when his mother was caressing both her engagement and her wedding rings, enlightening him on the fact that his father had bought them both from Spiffany's.

An expensive price to pay, but he bought them both for her out of sheer love. Mind you, he had to juggle between two jobs in order to afford them and it was practically killing him, but he'd told her that it was worth it. After his mother had told him, Clark couldn't deny it. His father's love for his mother was irrefutable.

Still staring at the flashy decoration, Clark returns to the present, can't help thinking that Spiffany's had definitely played an important role in his parents' lives and wonders if it might make a similar appearance in his. He can dream, can't he?

"-Smallville? Are you with us? Hey, earth to Smallville!" Lois' voice and the clicking of her fingers wakes him from his thinking, turning to face her and Jimmy, with a smile filled with perfect, white teeth on his face, "Sorry, I was just thinking for a moment and I guess I got a little carried away."

He sees the not-so-amused look on Lois' face with her hands firmly on her hips, worrying that her fingernails might be digging into her skin as she says, "Well, it's a good job I brought you back from Cloud 9 because they're about to start the ceremony." Lois then points to the stage and Clark turns to look in its direction, seeing Mayor Berkowitz approaching it, sporting an impressive suit that he knew he wouldn't be able to afford in his lifetime.

What perks his interest though, is the fact that his boyfriend, Ollie, and his boss, Tess, are also accompanying him to the stage as well. Something that Ollie had failed to mention to him back at Kent Farm. _This must be what he meant when he said he had some business to attend to in Metropolis, but why couldn't he have just told me?_

"What's Ollie and Tess doing up there with the Mayor?" Clark asks, earning another huff from Lois, "Is your brain still up on Cloud 9, Smallville? Ollie and Tess are the Mayor's Guests of Honour for helping restore this place. Didn't Ollie tell you?"

Clark, his eyes still focusing on Ollie, utters softly, "No, I guess he just forgot to mention it. He's been real busy lately with Just-err, work business. Come on, let's get a closer look." Clark says, saving himself from blurting out what Ollie _really_ gets up to when he's not administering his family's company.

Lois looks back at Jimmy, who she can tell is too busy thinking about his and Chloe's engagement party last night than her conversation with Clark, and shakes her head, thinking to herself why she even bothers half the time.

As the trio take their places amongst the crowds of other reporters from rival papers and networks, they all watch the stage as the Mayor approaches the podium, holding onto its sides, a smile on his face that shows off his impressive, white teeth.

"Citizens of Metropolis, I, your Mayor, proudly welcome you all to the reopening of a store that had touched our hearts with its dazzling display of assorted jewellery, made from the finest diamonds, rubies, emeralds, sapphires and other such precious gemstones, before it was inexplicably burnt down back in the '80s. For what felt like many years of careful planning and consideration, I finally made the deal to restore it to its former glory, along with the financial help of my two Guests of Honour, Ms. Tess Mercer of LuthorCorp, and Mr. Oliver Queen of Queen Industries, who both cooperated fully in its restoration. So, without further ado, I present to you the new-and-improved Spiffany's, protected with the latest in high-tech security, courtesy of both LuthorCorp and Queen Industries."

As the crowd, which also consists of Ronnie and his classmates, erupt into a round of applause as Mayor Berkowitz's given the golden scissors to cut the red ribbon and does so in a matter of seconds. The cheering continues, but what everybody doesn't know, including Clark and Ollie, is that a certain villain is about to use this advantage to strike any minute…now…

"S'cuse me sir, but I can take it from here," a figure in an all-black spandex bodysuit replies, their face covered by a head mask of the same colour and material as their bodysuit, but judging by the sound of their voice, Mayor Berkowitz can distinguish that it belonged to a man.

"Who the hell are you?" He asks, astonished that someone that stands out like a sore thumb has managed to get by his security without causing a ruckus.

The spandex-clad figure grabs the Mayor by the throat and effortlessly lifts him into the air, his feet dangling in mid-air, trying to pry himself from the man's grip, but finding that it was surprisingly impossible. "Just call me Multiplex, sir."

Multiplex then hurls him in the direction of his guards who are almost upon him, but are all knocked down like bowling pins. Afterwards three of his duploids split from his body and Multiplex orders them to stay and stand guard, making sure no-one gets past them until he's collected every single piece of jewellery from inside.

As the crowds of people scatter, either screaming 'bloody murder' or not wanting to get involved, Clark, Lois and Jimmy stay exactly where they are, Jimmy's camera flashing like there's no tomorrow. At least they're going to have some high-quality pictures to go with their article, which they know they'll have to write up for tomorrow's edition.

"Jimmy, get Lois out of here! I'm going to get help!" Clark commands, shouting over the noise of the commotion, pointing in the opposite direction of it and Lois whipping her head around at the mention of her name. "What? No! I'm not leaving now when there's a huge story to cover!" She cried, as the trio dodge the flying guards who are being thrown around by Multiplex's duplicates.

"You are when there's a high possibility that you might be killed! Now don't argue with me Lois, go with Jimmy and find some place safe! I'm going to get help!" He might've sounded harsh, but he's only looking out for two of his best friends, not forgiving himself if anything happened to them.

Lois can see what he's feeling in his eyes as she looks up to him, nodding in silent agreement to what he's implying, putting a hand on Jimmy's shoulder and gently drawing him away from the tumult that seems to be getting worse, thanks to Multiplex having duplicated more of himself to hold back the guards and the police that have now arrived on the scene.

Now that Lois and Jimmy are out of harm's way, Clark's eyes revert to where Ollie and Tess were standing just moments ago, finding that they're nowhere in sight. In an instant Clark immediately concentrates, utilizing his super-hearing to pinpoint Ollie's heartbeat. He hasn't told his lover of this yet, but for the past week or so, he's been learning to hone his super-hearing ability so that whenever he wanted to find Ollie fast, he'd be able to do so with the sound of his heartbeat.

It's still in working progress, mind you, but he's getting there. After what felt like forever, too long in Clark's mind, his ears finally picks up the calm, gentle beating of Ollie's heart and he quickly hurries in its direction, finding that his love's escorting Tess into the back of her black limousine and ordering her chauffeur to get her out of there as quickly as humanly possible.

When the vehicle's out of sight, Ollie turns around to find Clark approaching him from the spot he'd occupied when the ceremony was beginning, just a few moments ago. On his face, Ollie can see that Clark must've been terribly worried for him and his heart warms at that fact, but he knows that they can't fret over tiny things like that. Spiffany's is currently getting robbed by a super being of unknown proportion and his duplicates are causing havoc with the police and the Mayor's bodyguards.

They need to act now and stop it before it gets way out of hand.

"Clark, before you ask, I'm fine, but our main priority is to stop that guy before he gets away." Ollie informs before he turns away, heading toward his car he's parked in a nearby alley to get his 'Green Arrow' uniform from out of the secret compartment situated in the trunk.

"I think that's pretty obvious Ollie, but there's one _small_ problem. I don't have a costume to hide behind. I never needed to wear one because whenever I use my powers, I'm either doing it in secret or in front of people who know of them, which isn't particularly many Ollie." He clutches his hips with both hands, letting out a frustrated sigh.

Ollie scans the small vicinity, making sure that there's no-one around to see, before he begins stripping himself of his clothing until he's standing in his boxers. As he climbs into his leather green uniform, he suggests, "Why don't you find something in that costume shop across the street. There's bound to be something there you could slip into, but nothing too revealing. I don't want you distracting me from the task at hand." He then hints with his eyebrows before zipping himself up, pulling the hood over his head and slips on his dark glasses, to hide his identity from all-seeing eyes.

While he's busy equipping himself with his weapons, his green-coloured quiver, and other such necessities, Clark knows that Ollie's right about the costume shop and immediately zips there in a matter of seconds, thankful that there's no-one there, in plain sight anyway.

Looking around he can see all kinds of costumes on display for all kinds of occasions, especially the holidays, but nothing yet that'll hide his identity _and_ stop Ollie from drooling from the mouth. When all hope seems lost, Clark finally spots the costume that does all of the above.

Within seconds, he's garbed in the costume which consists of a dark-blue spandex bodysuit, along with dark-blue gloves and boots, and a yellow belt around his waist. Also etched on his shoulders is a dark-blue cape that drapes down to the back of his knees. Upon his chest, a black symbol of a bird with its wings outspread is etched within a circle of white. Garbed in his desired costume, Clark speeds back out and joins Ollie, who's now Green Arrow, taking cover behind a police cruiser that had been turned over on to its side. He's also armed with his bow and arrow at the ready.

Green Arrow glances upon the costumed Clark and can't help, but emit a soft wolf-whistle, seeing how the spandex clings to his body _very _nicely. "Wow Clark, that costume looks really good on you," he replies, his voice's deepened, different in order to mask it from his true identity. "Have you thought of a name for yourself or are we going to have to go with _Clark_."

Clark's mind runs through all the code-names he'd seen from all the comics he'd read and the superhero cartoons he'd watched as a kid, deciding on one that's better suited for his costume. "Yeah…you can call me _Nightwing_."


	6. Three Against an Army!

**Outside Spiffany's, Metropolis**

One minute they're clapping and in the next, all mayhem's broken loose. Ronnie can only watch in shock as his arch-nemesis Multiplex, who he knew as soon as he'd appeared seemingly out of nowhere, grabs the Mayor by the throat, barely hearing him utter, "Just call me Multiplex, sir," before he hurling him towards his bodyguards, knocking them all down in one go.

_Jeez! Is this guy joined to me by the hip or what? I can't even go on a field trip without him showing his black-spandex face!_ The voice inside his head exclaims, his attention suddenly back on his classmates and teacher when he hears the police enter the scene by the sound of their sirens. Also, Multiplex has just duplicated himself several times, ordering them to stand guard while he, and a few of his duploids, ransacks Spiffany's of all its expensive inventory.

His teacher and his classmates are already running in the direction of the police officers' shouts, ordering them to get way behind the cars and to stay clear of the area. _That's good_, _I can use that to my advantage_, Ronnie tells himself as he keeps a lookout to make sure Cliff, or anyone else for that matter, isn't looking in his direction. They're not, thankfully, so it's the perfect chance for Ronnie to 'disappear'.

Sprinting into a nearby alley that provides him with the cover he needs, Ronnie silently apologizes to Martin Stein for what he's about to do, hoping that he's not in the middle of one of his experiments, before he transforms into Firestorm, dubbed 'The Nuclear Man', in a flash of radioactive light purely by his act of will.

"_What now, Ronnie? You do realize that I was in a middle of something important. If I don't return soon, I'll probably find my lab in millions of pieces!_" He isn't truly angry, but Ronnie can tell by the sound of his voice that he's a little annoyed of the current situation. "I truly am sorry for that Martin, but Firestorm's needed. It appears that Multiplex had chosen Metropolis as his new stomping grounds as he's robbing a barely reopened jewellery store as we speak." Firestorm informs him as he takes to the air in the direction of the commotion, the activation of his powers surrounding him in an aura of nuclear energy.

Flying overhead, he can see that the area's now been cleared, and that most of it is covered with, hopefully, unconscious bodyguards and police officers from their attempts to hinder Multiplex's duploids. Also, if his eyes aren't deceiving him, he can also see two costumed individuals readying themselves to advance, one he recognizes from the newspapers.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't the Green Arrow, but who's the other guy in the cape? Never seen him before," Firestorm asks, knowing that Martin will respond, "_Does it really matter? Against Multiplex, you should be thankful to have allies on your side for a change_." Even though he can't see it, Ronnie can tell that Martin's smiling at the idea.

"Okay…then I best go down there and introduce myself."

* * *

Down below Green Arrow and Nightwing are already advancing to the entrance of Spiffany's, planning to take down this super-villain as quickly as possible, to guarantee that no-one else gets hurt apprehending him.

"You know," Nightwing utters, soft enough for his boyfriend to hear, but not loud enough for anyone else, "I could just use my super-speed and take them all out, main guy included." He finishes with a smirk before witnessing Ollie taking out the three guys with his 'trick-arrows', in this case, stun arrows.

"What? And take all the fun and glory? You wound me," Green Arrow beams, pearly whites on show, pressing a palm to his chest as though Nightwing's suggestion had broken his heart. A second later, they both see that the trio Green Arrow had just put down has now multiplied by three, now facing nine more than they'd originally started with.

"Oh, you've got to be kidding," Green Arrow sighed, as the duploids begin to advance, their eyes on the two superheroes, "This is going to be a lot harder than we initially thought." He then reaches behind and takes out another three arrows; this time net ones, and fires upon the small group, intending to ensnare them so they can't duplicate via physical contact from himself and Clark.

It seems to work at first, but doesn't count on the fact that they all have superhuman strength on their side, ripping the net away like tissue paper. Back on their feet the duploids continue to advance, now seeming to look like a small army, all huddling together, as the two superheroes turn to plan B.

Taking in a long, deep breath, Nightwing exhales it into his super-breath, blowing them away with its gale force-like effects. Flying through the air like rag-dolls, they land hard against the ground, some even fly through the windows of Spiffany's, glass flying everywhere and drawing the attention of the real Multiplex.

"It's come to my attention that I have some uninvited guests," he spoke amongst the quiet of the store, turning to face the front entrance, to see that just outside he can see two costumed characters; one's garbed in green, the other navy-blue. "And what's this? More costumed do-gooders to beleaguer me! No matter! Let my duploids deal with them!" And after saying that, Multiplex clones more of himself, separating from his body in the same function as cells do in the human body. By the time he's done, he's slightly weaken, having just duplicated fifteen or more as well as maintaining the ones he'd done before. Fortunately he will regain his strength in a matter of minutes.

Back outside the duploids that Nightwing had just taken down with his super-breath are now getting up, accompanied by the ones Multiplex had just created just seconds ago. Now the two are facing a small army.

"It looks like the odds are stacked against us, Green Arrow," Nightwing replies, but doesn't appear intimidated by the horde, more like enthused. "2 against 24, to my count." He raises his hands up to chest level in a defensive stance, clenching them into fists, ready to take them down by any means necessary. Green Arrow does the same, reaching back into his quiver and taking out three glue arrows this time, in an attempt to at least stall them while they think of a suitable plan.

Suddenly, several bolts of unknown energy descended from the sky, and the two superheroes gaze up to see a man garbing a red-and-yellow costume with a sun emblem over his heart, and a corona of fire burning brightly above his head, as though it was his hair. "Make that 3 against 24!" He informs as he flies down, emitting another barrage of energy bolts from his hands, resulting in scattering the duploids all over the place.

Once they're grounded for the moment, the brightly-coloured superhero flies over to Green Arrow and Nightwing, who let their guard down while the duploids are incapacitated, eager to find out who this mysterious superhero is. When Firestorm touches ground a few feet in front of them, he openly sticks his hand out, offering them to shake it as he introduces himself, "Greetings fellow superheroes. The name's Firestorm, and it's going to be a pleasure to fight alongside others like myself."

At first Green Arrow and Nightwing don't answer, too amazed at the obvious fact that, other than the members of the Justice League, there are other heroes with incredible powers fighting the good fight. Then Nightwing manages to reply with a, "It's seems we're going to need all the help we can get taking down this guy." He nods in the direction of Spiffany's before continuing, "I'm Nightwing by the way, and this is…," but Firestorm hastily interrupts him with a smile on his face, "Green Arrow. Yeah, I've heard of you, but **you **are a mystery." He glances back at Nightwing, whose eyebrows are creasing in confusion.

"That's probably because he's a newbie. Just starting out as it were, aren't ya Nightwing?" Green Arrow answers, giving him a good slap on the back, Nightwing answering with a simple, "Yeah."

Their little conversation's put on hold for the moment when two of Multiplex's duploids tackle Firestorm from out of nowhere, pinning him to the ground with their superhuman strength while the others charge at Green Arrow and Nightwing.

"Guess we'll have to continue this discussion later," Green Arrow grins, eager to get back into the battle, and leaving the introductions and questioning until afterwards. Pulling back on his bow's string, he unleashes all three glue arrows at the same time, landing on the ground several yards away.

Almost immediately, the round arrowheads explode, covering the ground with white, sticky goop within a small radius. It also manages to capture several of the duploids at once, stopping them in their tracks as they try to break away from its impenetrable hold.

"Huh, well whaddya know. I didn't think that was actually going to work." However, he isn't left to wonder for long because three more of the goons are pursuing him, Green Arrow reaching into his quiver to pull out another trick arrow; hopefully a useful one because he doesn't have time for second chances.

Beside him, several feet away, Nightwing's utilizing his own superhuman strength to punch the duploids skywards like they're nothing to him, slamming into car roofs and doors, walls and through shop windows, but every time he does, more keep appearing in their place. Sooner or later, they're going to overwhelm him and the others, and they need to think of something fast before that happens.

Meanwhile, still pinned to the ground, Firestorm utilizes his ability to phase through solid objects, and afterwards soars into the sky to give himself a few seconds to breathe. As predictable as ever, the duploids fly after him, dodging his blasts of nuclear energy in his attempt to buy him time, time to think of something, anything to help them in their _crowded _situation.

Back down below, Nightwing takes in a lot of air before unleashing it in a blast of gale force-like wind, blowing most of the duploids back into the air and landing hard on the concrete just outside Spiffany's. Immediately after Green Arrow fires four arrows into the air before their tips burst and rain down on the fallen duploids large black nets that were strong enough to hold down an African elephant.

However, there were still those that Firestorm's busy dealing with up in the sky and there are those two that evaded Nightwing's super-powered breath, and are now flying towards Green Arrow, hooking him by his underarms, ascending him into the air.

He can only observe as they take his lover higher than the highest building in Metropolis in a speed that only he can surpass. Firestorm's too busy firing off blasts of nuclear energy and utilizing intangibility to make sure that they're not going to get the drop on him. _I've only got seconds before the air gets thin up there and then Ollie's only got the time he can hold his breath before he needs to breathe and asphyxiates. Time to make my move._

Genuflecting just a little to give him enough momentum, he pushes off quickly, bounding into the air like a shuttle taking off, catching up with the captors in no time at all. He can see that Green Arrow's already having trouble breathing, observing his mouth as he opens up to gasp in some air, but finding none.

Urging himself forward, Nightwing exploits his heat vision just hot enough so when it hit one of the duploids' shoulder, it causes him to let go, using that to grab his leg and swing him back down to earth. The other one's a little more difficult to deal with. He's got his arm wrapped around Green Arrow's neck, cutting off his ability to breathe, making it harder for him to, and judging by what Nightwing had seen, they also possess superhuman strength, but hopefully not as strong as he is.

Grabbing the duploid by his ankle, he pulls him down, wanting to fight him at his level. The duploid kicks out, trying to hit him in the face, knock him down, but Nightwing's too fast. Using this to his advantage, Nightwing rolls away from the attack, elbowing him in the face with enough force to break his nose and let go of Green Arrow.

Now he's only got a minute, maybe less, to deal with this duploid and catch Green Arrow before he impacts with the ground, and he definitely doesn't want that to happen. The duploid goes for another attack, this time trying to punch him, but Nightwing's just as fast, grabbing it and wrenching it behind his back. Then, using his superhuman speed, spins on a spot looking like a spinning top before he lets go, sending the duploid further into space, knowing that it's just a carbon copy of the real threat they're dealing with, watching it evaporate into thin air.

Now his next problem's Green Arrow, who's still plummeting and now unconscious from lack of oxygen. Diving down after him, he makes it to Green Arrow in a matter of seconds, cupping him in his arms, looking down at him, and thanking God that he's not hurt and still breathing. He also doesn't realize that he's flying, slowly hovering back down to earth, never looking away from his sleeping 'angel'.

Once the city of Metropolis' back in view, it's at this moment that Green Arrow opens his eyes, wondering why he feels so light and why he's got a pounding headache. Looking to his right, he finds Clark still in his 'Nightwing' costume, holding him bridal style as though it's their wedding night. He looks the other way and notices that they're very high above the buildings of Metropolis, and that Clark's actually flying!

"Cl-Clark? Are you…flying?" He manages to utter, still dozy from being without oxygen for a limited time, which he hears Clark answer with a soft, "Yeah, I guess I am," that cute smile that causes Ollie's stomach to flutter like butterflies following afterwards.

Continuing to slowly descend, the two costumed heroes are joined by Firestorm, who flies up to their level, but isn't being tailed by the duploids. _Did he take care of the problem all by himself? I'll definitely give him credit for it if he did._

"Are you two alright?" He asks, genuine concern in his voice, "After I saw them take ya up into the sky, I thought I could ditch the dupes who were chasing me and go after ya, but they just kept coming. Thank God you can also fly." He replies to Nightwing, who's staring down at Green Arrow and smiles, "Yeah, it is."

"So, did you take care of Multiplex or whoever that guy said he was?" Green Arrow enquires, both of them looking at Firestorm, watching him shake his head, a little disappointment etched on his face, "Nah, I was too busy trying to fend off the dupes and he managed to escape before I could give him a few beatings."

"Look, don't beat yourself up about it. It's happens and besides, we need to respite and figure out what our next plan of action is. Try and catch this guy when he least expects it." Clark replies, enjoying holding Ollie in his arms, admitting to himself that he doesn't get to do it often because either their work keeps them on overtime or their vigilante jobs as superheroes takes up most of their free time, leaving only the weekend and the few hours left of the day to spend together.

"And I know just the place."


	7. Lois Worried & Firestorm Snooping!

**Outside Spiffany's, Metropolis**

After Multiplex had fused most of his duploids back into his body, leaving three to help him carry the jewels, he disappeared soon after. Unfortunately, no-one saw which way he went, too busy either helping the wounded or surveying the surrounding damage, caused by the short battle between his duploids, and a trio of costumed heroes which most recognised as being the 'Green Arrow', who populates both Metropolis and Star City, and 'Firestorm', a native of Manhattan. The other hero, though, is a complete mystery. The citizens aren't complaining, however, just glad that no-one's seriously hurt.

One of the citizens, a young paramedic by the name of Davis Bloome, is also at the scene with several others, attending to those who'd been wounded in their attempt to get the hell out of dodge when Multiplex made his 'charismatic' appearance.

"Davis," he hears his name being called somewhere to his right, sounding very feminine, and when he looks, he has to smile, "Davis, have you seen Clark anywhere?"

The voice belongs to Lois Lane, reporter of the Daily Planet, who he'd met the night Oliver Queen was poisoned and lay dying in Chloe's office at the Isis Foundation, but was saved by Clark's impeccable timing with the antidote. Standing beside her is a young man wearing casual clothes with a camera hanging around his neck, which he uses to take pictures of the disastrous scene every so often.

Having just finished bandaging up a lady's thigh, which had been bleeding from a deep gash, Davis stands up and faces the duo, a look of concern etching his face, "Clark? No, no I haven't. I've been attending to the wounded here since I'd arrived." He nodded in the direction of the hurt civilians. "I haven't had chance to attend to the others yet."

Lois rests her palms firmly on her hips, "Then I'd highly suggest we stop talking about it, and start looking for him." She then spins on her heels, and walks quickly in the direction of the plaza outside Spiffany's, the last place she remembers seeing Clark, Davis and Jimmy catching up with her, trying to keep with her surprisingly fast pace. "You've no idea what Chloe and Ollie will do to me if they found out that I -," but before she can finish, she sees him attending to those in need surrounding the area outside Spiffany's.

"Clark?" Lois utters his name, mostly to herself, and feeling thankful that he's okay. From what she can see as she makes her way over to him, he's showing no signs of any injury or pain whatsoever. Which is a blessed relief because she doesn't know what she would've done if anything had happened to him in that chaos. He's her best friend, a very close friend, and being that they depend on each other, watch each other's backs. So, being his friend, Lois does what others would've done in her place…she hugs him.

"Oh Clark, I thought something _terrible_ might've happened to you." She muffles into his chest before backing away, immediately punching him _hard_ in the shoulder, "Don't you ever do something like that to us again, Smallville!" She exclaims, pointing to herself and Jimmy, who's just glad Clark's okay before she's shouting at him again, "Splitting us up like that! How am I supposed to keep an eye on you if you're doing something crazy like that?" Also being his friend, she's unexpectedly protective of him.

Clark can't help, but smile at the fact that she was worried about him, "Thank you for the concern Lois, but as you can see, I'm okay. Managed to get a couple of civilians to safety before Green Arrow and his costumed buddies took over. Jimmy, did you manage to take any pictures of them?"

Jimmy gestures with his camera, shaking his head, "Sorry, CK. Couldn't really take any good ones in all the panic."

To Lois Lane or any other reporter hungry for a good story, that would've been bad news, but to a reporter like Clark Kent, it's quite the opposite. Although he wore a mask that concealed his identity as he 'masqueraded' as _Nightwing_ to help Green Arrow and Firestorm, Clark doesn't want to risk having high-quality pictures taken of him. It could take just a second of Lois' perceptive eyes to peel away the disguise and she'd know straight away that it's him behind the mask, and then his whole world would come crashing down.

Ollie had told him a while ago that she'd figured out that he was Green Arrow when they were dealing with Black Canary, before she'd joined the Justice League, and was working for Lex at the time, of all people*. Thankfully, that isn't going to be the case this time.

"It's not your fault, Jimmy. Maybe next time." Clark bolsters, patting him on the shoulder for added reassurance.

"Well, now that we know that you're alright and safe, how about the others? Oliver, the Mayor, and dare I say it, Tess?" Lois asks, Clark seeing some definite concern in her hazel eyes, well, for the formers at least.

Clark points in the direction of a nearby ambulance, the trio looking behind him to see the Mayor sitting in the back of it, another paramedic checking him over while several of his guards stood a foot or so away, all scanning the vicinity in case there might be any more dangers.

_They have nothing to worry about_, Clark assures himself, having already scrutinized the area with his x-ray vision when he got back after leaving Firestorm to look after Ollie at Queen Tower. There was no trace of Multiplex anywhere, but the guards don't know that. Let them do their jobs.

"And before you ask, Oliver's okay too. He's a little shaken up, but he's fine. I find he always is in these situations. And as far as I know, he helped escort Tess to her limo which probably took her back to the Daily Planet or the mansion. So no worries there." He then smiles, hoping to give the right message to Lois, which it does because she then breathes a sigh of relief.

"Well, as long as you're alright Clark, I'd best be getting back to aiding the wounded," Davis replies, patting him on the shoulder before heading back in the direction of where Lois and Jimmy found him. "I'll see you guys later."

Clark smiles and nods, "Yeah, see ya Davis!" He shouts after him, all three of them watching as he disappears behind the ambulance that he's stationed with. The area outside Spiffany's isn't as hectic as it was a while ago, and the trio can get back to what they were doing before Multiplex had disrupt them…reporting and photographing.

"Okay," Lois starts, clapping her hands together, "Jimmy, you use that nifty little camera of yours, and snap us some quality photos of the scene while me and Smallville question the witnesses. Report back here in about," she then takes the time to look at her watch, "an hour, tops?"

Clark and Jimmy both stare at each other, both getting quite used to Lois bossing them around. When they don't answer, Lois slaps them both on the arm to rouse their attentions, "Come on, work with me people! We've gotta squeeze all the juice out of this story before some other newspaper does…and I'm not gonna let that happen!" And with that, she's off, heading in the direction of the Mayor.

"Right, well I'd best get 'snapping'," Jimmy smirks, lifting the camera in front of his face to take a picture of the mess that Nightwing, Green Arrow, and Firestorm had left behind when battling Multiplex's duploids earlier on.

When the coast's clear, Clark uses his super-speed to rush back to Queen Tower, to check up on his boyfriend and their new friend by the name of **Firestorm**…

* * *

**Queen Tower, Metropolis**

While Ollie's resting on the sofa in the living room, Ronnie, who's still in his **Firestorm **guise, is quietly checking the place out. Moving from room to room, marvelling at the choice of décor, knowing for sure that most of it is _well _over his price range.

"Cool pad if I say so myself. Whaddya think, Prof? Could you see yourself living in a place like this?" He asks, opening up the walk-in closet in the bedroom, and nearly suffering a heartache at the sheer size of it. "Wow, now I'm _soooo _totally jealous."

Prof. Stein sighs inside his mind, clearly agitated about something, _Aren't you supposed to be keeping an eye on Green Arrow instead of 'ransacking' the place? What if something happens to him? You saw how protective Nightwing was of him when we were handling Multiplex's duploids._

Firestorm rolls his eyes, "Oh come on, Prof, would you stop worrying. I checked on him ten minutes ago, and like the other times I've checked before then, he's peacefully recuperating in the softness of the couch. So please, stop badgering me about it. Okay?"

Yet, nothing prepares him for what happens next…

"Who are you talking to?"

Firestorm knows that deep, seemingly cool voice from anywhere as he near enough jumps out of his skin, and turns to face it, seeming to stutter, "…Gr…Green Arrow? Whaddya doing up? I…I thought you'd be resting after what happened?"

For a hero whose powers include density control, nuclear energy absorption and projection, and elemental transmutation as well as flight, Firestorm has never felt so _intimidated _in another man's presence until now. However, that seems to change when a smirk forms on GA's lips.

"I'm a lot better now thanks and, ease up a little, would ya. You look like you're about ready to jump out of your skin." He then spins on his heels, heading back in the direction of his office with the fiery hero following him shortly behind.

Since moving in with Clark, Ollie had left his weapons and gadgets where they were, hidden in a secret chamber behind his desk, not really worth taking with him. Pushing in the right code in order for it to open, it does so in a matter of seconds, seemingly splitting the wall apart, and revealing to all Green Arrow's entire arsenal.

"Holy cow! You've got a secret chamber for your gear as well! Are you in anyway associated with _Batman_ by any chance?" Ronnie asks almost hysterically, his pupil-less eyes wide in amazement at all the different styles of bows, crossbows, arrows, grappling hooks, and anything else that's stored in there.

Ollie can't help, but grin, "The only way I'm _associated _with the _Dark Knight_ is the fact that we, as you might say, are _friendly _rivals. Don't get me wrong, we'll help each other from time to time when the occasion rises, but we'd rather stay clear of one another. To be honest, I don't think our egos could handle being in the same proximity for very long." He clarifies, picking up his bow and quiver, which he finds settled against the couch, and placing them in their appropriate place on the racks. He then closes it up again, re-entering the security code before facing the fiery hero.

"So, tell me a little about yourself, Firestorm," Ollie starts, making himself comfortable in the comfy chair behind his desk, putting his feet up upon the desk, "How you obtained such, amazing powers, and if you have anything to do with this _Multiplex _guy who totally whooped us earlier?"

Ronnie smirks, "And what makes you think _I_ might have anything to do with him?"

One of GA's eyebrows curves upwards, his "_Do you really have to ask?_" gesture, "I don't know if you can see me behind this get-up," he gesticulates to his GA costume he's currently wearing, "but I'm a lot smarter than most people give me credit for. You arriving to help us out _after_ Multiplex's made his grand entrance only makes it easier for me to understand that you do. So, he is your _arch-nemesis_? Best friend gone bad?"

Even though it seems like Green Arrow's pressuring him for answers, Firestorm completely understands where he's coming from. He makes himself comfortably in one of the chairs that stand opposite the desk, and begins his origin story," Well, if I'm going to tell you that, and explain a little of how I come to be, I might as well start from the beginning."

Just as he's about to start, however, Clark arrives, garbed in his _Nightwing_ costume (of course) via the balcony outside. A smile's soon etched on his masked face when he sees that Ollie's fine, and walking around. "I can see that you're back to your normal self. I'm just glad that you're alright."

"Well if it hadn't've been for you, I'd probably still be floating around up there. So, thank you for saving my ass once again." Green Arrow expresses gratefully, Firestorm glancing at both of them, and noticing that there's an obvious bond between the two.

"Now that you're here, you might want to stick around, and listen to this. Firestorm here's about to enlighten us on how he actually became who he is today, and what connection he has with Multiplex."

"You know Multiplex?"

Ronnie nods at Clark's question, "Yes I do," he utters, pushing himself back onto his feet, and making his way over to the patio window, looking out into the city, his hands behind his back, "It all started a few months ago in my hometown of New York City. When I met a man named Danton Black…" (_see JLA Vol. 1 179 for details_)


	8. Sparring & A Surprise for Clark!

**Author's Note**: This section is rated M for a reason – if you don't like, don't read…simple!

* * *

**Luthor Mansion, Smallville, Kansas**

After Firestorm had explained to the hero pair who exactly they were up against and what his M.O usually entailed, they decided to return to their civilian guises, and basically wait for Multiplex's next move. With his ability to split himself into countless duplicates, it made him incredibly unpredictable and could strike anywhere at any time.

So, whilst Firestorm flies back to the crime scene in hopes of finding his class still there looking for him and Nightwing, having changed back into Clark as soon as the fiery hero left, returns to the Daily Planet to _compare_ notes with Lois and Jimmy, Oliver visits Tess at Luthor's mansion after finding out that she'd returned there fearing that the super-criminal might be after her too. Seeing as she and himself were guests-of-honour at the event, and he'd already attacked the Mayor.

Walking through the open doors into her office, Ollie notices that she's not anywhere in the room, "Mercy?" He calls out, but revealing no answer, "Just came by to see if you're alright."

He looks one way towards the fireplace, and just as he looks to the other side of the room, Tess surprises him by giving him the impression that she's just appeared out of thin air before throwing him a bo-staff. Ollie looks at it, a little confused at what's about to conspire before he blocks Tess's attack with her own.

"As you can see, I'm perfectly fine," she then proceeds to hit him horizontally this time, trying to aim for his gut, but Ollie's just as quick, and manages to knock her attack away as he dodges out of the way of it.

They then continue to spar, Tess with her swipes and slashes in her endeavour to hit Ollie whilst he uses his training to block and evade her every attack. However, since they stop for a moment, their bo-staffs crossing over between them, Tess uses this opportunity to unleash a sneaky attack, hitting Ollie across the face with the other end.

He turns with the momentum of the hit, and wipes the blood away from his bottom lip with the back of his finger, licking the rest of it up with his tongue, a smirk on his face as he faces her again.

"You're getting sloppy, _Mr Queen_. You used to be better than this," She mocks, holding the bo-staff out in front of her readying herself for Ollie's counterattack.

"What happened to not being interested in revenge?" Ollie asks as he's the one who makes the next move, slashing down, but goes nowhere as Tess spins out of the way, swiping with hers, but again Ollie manages to dodge it.

"This is not revenge. This is just practice. Weak men like you make _me_ stronger," she adds, continuing to attack Ollie, not letting up until she _lures_ him out into the open so she can strike.

Unfortunately, Ollie's ready for such an assault, and manages to keep her strikes at bay. Circling around each other, both building up a little sweat now, Tess continues to push his buttons, "So you learn that Lionel kills your parents, and what do you do? You drink yourself onto the society page. For what? Like a month? How did Clark deal with all that?"

"Well, you know me better than most people, Tess, I like to keep myself busy, and as for Clark? We had our fights, our squabbles, but don't most people in a relationship?" He replies with another smirk, hinting with his eyebrows.

Tess takes this moment to laugh at him, "You still can't take anything seriously, can you? Just like our relationship," she huffs, attacking him again.

"You know how much you meant to me," Ollie replies sincerely, knocking away her strikes before their bo-staffs are once again locked into place in front of them, "Yeah, that became obviously clear when I caught you with a lowly waiter," Tess spits back as she goes for a low sweep, but Ollie manages to jump over it, "Or was he the host?"

"How many times do I have to apologize for that?"

"I didn't want an apology then, and I don't want one now!" She says as she strikes horizontally, which Ollie blocks, however Tess kicks out with her right foot contacting with his stomach, and sending him hard against the wall behind him. With one end of the staff pointing towards him, Tess responds with a breath, "All I wanted was an explanation. Is that too much to ask? What the hell were you so damned afraid of, huh?"

It takes a while for Ollie to enunciate the words, but when he does, there's a hint of remorse in them, something she never would've expected, what with their strenuous relationship and all since then.

"You…of what you were becoming. The woman you've become now is nothing like the one I fell in love with back on that island."

Tess backs off, throwing her bo-staff on the floor beside her, and smirks, "It's probably for the best. She was weak, pathetic even. Waiting for her knight in shining armour to come rescue her. The woman you see before you," She gestures to herself, "doesn't need nobody to protect her. Close the door on your way out," and with that, she's gone, leaving Ollie think about her words.

* * *

**The Suicide Slums**

With his two duploids following shortly behind him, their arms filled with bags of the jewellery they'd just robbed from _Spiffany's_, Multiplex walks through the waste-filled streets of the slums, passing by hookers and hobos who regularly vacate this part of town.

Climbing the short steps in order to enter the flats that appear so dilapidated, it looks like it could fall apart at any moment, making it the best place to hide from Firestorm, and those other two who assisted him. _I have a feeling they're going to give me more trouble than their worth_, he mulls over as he inserts the key to the apartment he's residing in whilst staying here.

Putting the bags he's holding onto the breakfast bar, he orders his duploids to do the same before absorbing them back into his body, feeling a slight tingling sensation every time he does so. He then pulls the hood from off his face to reveal the scars and burns he received from the explosion that had granted him his powers as he makes his way over to the small fridge, and takes out a beer.

Heading into the "living" area, he slumps onto the leather couch, and takes a swig of his beer, muttering to no-one in particular, "Looks to me like I've got my work cut out for me. It's a good thing I have plenty of _friends_ to help me out."

He then takes the remote from the small, glass coffee table, and switches the T.V onto one of his favourite shows…_CSI: Las Vegas_

* * *

**Kent Farm, Kansas**

Having found only a small amount of info on Multiplex, AKA Danton Black, with the appreciated help from Lois and Jimmy, Clark's decided that that was enough investigating for now and call it a day.

So, with Jimmy offering a lift back to the Talon, it allows Clark the opportunity to super-speed back to home, and begin cooking dinner for himself and Ollie before said person gets back.

Reaching the front door to _their _home, Clark opens it expecting Oliver not to be back yet, but is pleasantly surprised when he finds the blonde standing over by the stove, cooking what his super-senses are telling him is pork chops with the vegetables simmering nicely beside them. _Ollie's just full of surprises_, Clark mulls as he shuts the door, and walks over to him.

Ollie had heard him come in, and utters a, "Hiya," before attending to the food, feeling Clark's arms wrap around his waist. "Dinner will be ready in about 5, 10 minutes. Could you sort the drinks out, please?" He asks before suddenly giving out a slight moan when Clark kisses one of his soft spots on his neck.

"Of course I can, babe," Clark utters before moaning mentally for having to let go of Ollie, just holding him in his arms makes him feel like the most happiest man on the planet.

"So, did you learn anything else about our unwelcome guest who has a thing for black spandex?" Ollie smirks as he prepares to set the dinner out as it's nicely cooked now.

"Nothing that Firestorm's already informed us about earlier. He was a pretty big deal in nuclear physics, working alongside Martin Stein in the designing of the Hudson Nuclear Facility, and it seemed like he had everything going for him. Unfortunately, like every villain we seem to come across, he felt like he wasn't getting his due credit so he turned to stealing."

With the dinner set, Ollie heads back into the kitchen to collect the cutlery before joining Clark at the table, extremely proud of himself that he's actually cooked something for himself and his boyfriend, instead of having staff to do it. "Oh? What did he steal?" He asks, taking a bite of his pork-chop which "melts" in his mouth it tastes so good.

"Lab equipment, but Martin Stein eventually caught him, and fired him on the spot. In retaliation, he tried to publicly accuse Stein of stealing ideas from _him_, but it fell on deaf ears. After that is when the incident occurs which gives him and Firestorm their abilities." Clark informs, also tucking into the meat which he thinks tastes utterly divine. "This is really good by the way."

"Thanks, just wanted to do something special for you for, you know, saving my ass back there," he smiles, feeling Clark's palm caressing his right cheek before he's leaning forward, claiming his lips with a soft kiss, but one that's filled with love and care.

At the touch of Clark's lips against his, Ollie winces just a little at the contact it has on his split lip, and he hisses, Clark pulling back and noticing it for the first time.

"What happened to your lip?" He asks with evident concern, thumb rubbing gently over it before giving it another kiss as though it might make it better or something.

Ollie smiles, finding Clark's concern over such a tiny wound just too beautiful, "It's nothing, Clark. When I checked on Tess earlier, to see if she was okay after what happened, I knew it was a bad idea. Was lead straight into a sparring session with her, which to be honest caught me off guard a little, hence the tiny wound on my lip, but it's no big deal. Really," he adds at the end for recognition for Clark's concern, hoping to Christ that he doesn't super-speed it over to the mansion and give Tess a piece of his mind.

"Okay," Clark replies simply as a cheeky smile emerges on his handsome features, "and I wasn't going to give her a piece of my mind, if you were wondering," he adds, as though he can read his mind, but Ollie boils it down to Clark knowing him so well.

"Come on, I've got another surprise to show you. One that requires us to be in the bedroom," the blond billionaire adds seductively, pulling Clark away from the table and towards the stairs, but he's stopped.

"I like the sound of that. You head on up while I just clean up the dishes. I'll only be a second."

"I know you will," Ollie smiles, leaning down to peck a kiss on Clark's lips before he's heading up the staircase, still smiling when he hears the "whush" of Clark's super-speed in action, and the clattering of dishes being picked up, washed, dried and put away.

As he's about to enter the room, he feels Clark's hand upon his hips, and is immediately lead towards the bed, but Ollie has other plans. Using the momentum to his advantage, he whirls Clark around so that he ends up sitting on the bed before shaking a finger in his direction.

"Tut, tut. We'll get to that later," he whispers into his ear before he's backing away, sauntering over to the stereo and pushes the button to turn it on, "First…your surprise," he adds as a particular song comes on, one Ollie's chosen aptly for what he's about to do.

He backs up, giving himself some room to move, and when the beat gets going, starts to sway his hips provocatively, causing Clark to hint his anticipation with his eyebrows for what's in store for him. It also causes him to feel a little "hot" under the collar, and tight in the trouser area. _Is he doing what I think he's doing?_ He asks himself as Ollie, still twirling his hips, starts to unbutton his shirt, revealing to Clark that toned chest and those abdominals he loves so much, amongst other things, of course.

He then proceeds to swing the t-shirt over his head before throwing it at Clark, it landing over his head, and Clark takes it off with a smile, a small laugh escaping from those soft, rosy lips, causing Ollie to laugh also.

"Liking your surprise?" He asks, but Clark doesn't need to answer as Ollie can tell by the flushed, smiley look on his face and the growing tent in his trousers that he's enjoying every second of it, "Good, because I haven't reached the best part yet."

By now the song develops into a more upbeat rhythm, causing Ollie to dance a little faster, Clark's super-vision able to pick up the sweat drops that are beginning to for, giving his lover's skin a glossier look. This is when he also notices that Ollie's unbuttoning his jeans, pulling the zip down _oh-so-slowly_ in the process. The sound of it unzipping makes Clark moan, his cock jerking with excitement which Ollie smirks at as he pulls down the offensive clothing that's hiding the surprise Clark's patiently waiting for.

Clark stays at it with wide hazel eyes and his mouth slightly agape. _I don't believe it!_ His inner voice speaks with absolute astonishment, Clark not able to speak or even form words as Ollie throws his trousers somewhere in the room.

Still dancing to the music, but a lot calmer now, Ollie's wearing nothing, but the sparkly green thong Clark had bought him as a joke for his birthday, and leaves little to the imagination. It makes him even more of an Adonis than he already is, making Clark's cock ache within the confines of his jeans at such a sight.

Ollie continues to sway his hips, turning slowly a couple of times so Clark can see those perfect orbs bouncing, the thin string nestled between them, and he knew he won't be able to hold on much longer.

As if by reading his mind, Ollie turns back to face him, and walks slowly towards him, the pouch trying its best to keep his impressive manhood inside as he kneels down on both knees between Clark's legs. He reaches up and begins unbuttoning Clark's shirt, leaning up to kiss him on the lips while he does so. When all the buttons are undone, he pulls it off and throws it in whatever direction before he's undoing the buttons on Clark's jeans, mouth practically watering at the tent there.

"It seems to me that that little dance's got you all excited," he softly replies, tugging the trousers down Clark's muscled legs before, they too, are thrown somewhere across the room, "Let me _ease _some of the tension." With his fingers hooking around the waistband of Clark's boxers, Ollie tugs them down slowly, smiling when Clark's erection pops out, standing to attention all, and his heart warms at the fact that he's the cause of it.

With the boxers now added to the other forgotten items of clothing, Ollie holds onto Clark's hips and, without so much as a warning, licks it from base to tip, his tongue lingering on the tip to gather up the pre-cum already that's sipping from it. This causes Clark to moan appreciatively, both hands behind him for support.

"Oh god…Ollie, don't think I'm gonna last," he gasps, emitting another as Ollie slips his cock into his mouth, licking around the helmet before engulfing the entire length in one go. Clark can't hack it anymore, and lies back onto the bed; his hands tightly gripping the blanket as Ollie's mouth proceeds in sliding up and down his length, Clark swearing that he's about to explode any minute…literally.

Ollie can feel it pulse inside his mouth, the tip touching the back of his throat, but he doesn't falter, doesn't stop. This is all for Clark, for saving his life from a slow, agonizing death, and he's not stopping until he's fully satisfied.

"Uh…huh…Oliver, I'm gonna…gonna cum," Clark warns, but this only seems to spur Ollie on, bobbing up and down a little quicker, feeling it build up inside his mouth until a few seconds pass, and Clark's hot, slightly salty essence's shooting down his throat. Ollie endeavours to drink every last drop, but like most times, some of it escapes and drips down his chin.

Before he can do anything about it, Clark's already there, his tongue lapping it up before he captures Ollie's lips with his own, tasting himself and Ollie at the same time, and finding quite delightful. The kiss, passionate and filled with love, lasts for a minute or so, as they both knew that Ollie can only hold his breath for a minute or two whereas Clark can hold his for much longer thanks to his powers, before they break apart, a smile on both their lips.

"Make love to me Ollie," Clark blurts out, not giving Oliver chance to say anything, which stumps him somewhat as it's mostly Clark who's the _top_ simply because his other half loves to feel his strength when he's making love to him.

"Oh? Are you sure because I don't mind being the -," but he's interrupted by the clashing of Clark's lips against his once again before he breaks away, "I'm totally sure, Ollie. And besides, I want to feel you inside me. It's been a while since you've topped, and I kind of miss the contact. I mean, I know it's preferably the same when I top, but I find it incredibly hot when you're the one dominating me." Clark says with a blush, causing Ollie to kiss him again, however short.

"Well, when you say it like that, how can I refuse?"

As Clark crawls backwards until his head reaches the pillows, Ollie moves in pursuit, flush on top of him, taking a moment to lick and suckle Clark's dark nipples until they're fully erect before reaching for the lube in one of the beside tables. As Ollie kneels over him, Clark can't help, but beam at the fact that Ollie's still wearing the thong. "Here, these need to come off," he utters, tugging them down his thighs and throwing them aside once they're off.

Squirting some of the lube into his palm, Ollie puts the lube back on the table before rubbing his palms together, one hand to knead Clark's pucker and the other to lather his cock for a slightly more comfortable entry.

Once Clark's properly prepared and ready for him, Ollie eases his cock inside slowly so Clark can adjust, as it's been a while, and as soon as he's filled to the hilt, he's begging Ollie to move. One of the gratifications of being invulnerable is the fact that, whilst human males feel the pain before the pleasure, Clark feels just the pleasure, and he's soon moaning once Ollie starts to pick up the pace.

Clark's legs wrap themselves around Ollie's waist to make it easier for him to hit his pleasure spot, an act that makes Clark see stars before his eyes and moaning out his name as well as several other words that Ollie can't quite catch because he's too busy mesmerised by Clark's facial features.

They both can feel it. Both can feel each other's heartbeats, Clark hearing them, as they near the climax. With Ollie sweating like crazy, he reaches down in between them and begins to stroke Clark in near enough the same rhythm, both of them babbling their love to each other whilst trying to keep up the momentum.

Clark's the first to release his seed; spurting into Ollie's hand and onto own stomach, gasping out a breath he doesn't know he's holding, and feeling Clark's insides constrict against his cock, Ollie follows suit shortly afterwards. He stays inside him, the white hot liquid surging inside Clark until he's utterly spent.

He collapses upon Clark, their hearts beating a million times a second, breathing against each other and, just as Ollie's about to pull out, Clark stops him, "Stay in me, just a little while longer. I don't want to lose the connection yet."

Ollie smiles down at him, loving that fact about Clark being such a hopeless romantic, "Okay, I'm going anywhere and besides, it's gonna take more than that to break our connection."

They both lean forward, and embark in a lingering kiss which they both wish they could do for all eternity. However, like most things, it must come to an end, and when it does, they manoeuvre themselves so that they're in each other's embraces.

Before sleep takes over, Clark has to utter, "That was amazing…I should save you more often," and Ollie's laugh is the last thing he hears before darkness falls over the both of them.

* * *

**Author's Note 2**: Sorry for the long wait, but with my other projects and for the fact that I had writer's block for this chapter, I'm proud to announce that I'm back on track and should have the next chapter up very soon.

Hope you're still enjoying my AU Smallville series as they'll be more surprises in store for y'all like special guest appearances that we wished could have made it into the show, but couldn't because of budgetary purposes.

Anywho, chow for now. ;-)


	9. Their Future & Called into Action!

**Author's Note**: If you're wondering what Clark Kent's _Nightwing_ costume looks like - it looks similar to the costume he wears when the city Kandor was miniaturized and bottled, with him and Jimmy Olsen taking the identities of _Nightwing_ and _Flamebird_, and acting as the Kandor version of Batman and Robin (don't ask which issue that was because I don't know, simple!) - he's going to be wearing it for a while until he realizes who he truly is to Oliver and to the entire world…a Superman!

* * *

**Kent Farm, Smallville, Kansas**

Fully content with just lying there with Ollie wrapped securely in his arms, Clark realizes that they'll _have_ to get up simply because of the fact that Multiplex's gonna strike again sometime today, but not knowing the when, it's going to be difficult to determine so they've got to be on their guard.

With the Sun's beam peeking through the slit in the curtains, Clark turns to his alarm clock, and sees the red numbers "7:15" blinking back at him. Having to be at the Planet for 9:00, it gives Clark plenty of time to shower, dress and make breakfast, but not so much for Ollie as he has no superpowers to aid him in the morning.

Pulling Ollie closer to him so that his back's against Clark's chest, he takes this moment to kiss Ollie softly on the temple, smelling the faded scent of shampoo in Ollie's blond hair as he does, hearing him moan in satisfaction.

"Morning, babe. We've gotta get up for work," Clark whispers, kissing him again before Ollie's muttering about it being too early as he blinks his eyes open, adjusting them to the morning light filling the room.

"Can't we just stay in bed today? After what'd happened yesterday, I don't feel like going anywhere or doing anything except lie in bed with you," he smirks, that billion-dollar smile going straight to Clark's heart, making it very difficult for him to refuse his offer.

As Clark climbs out of bed stark naked, which seems completely reasonable after last night's _escapade_, Ollie can't help sneaking a peek at his lover's nicely-toned butt before he hears him say, "You haven't got time to stare, Ollie, you're gonna be late for work so get your butt out of bed and into the shower with me."

"With an offer like that, how can I refuse?"

* * *

After their shower together, the young super couple get themselves dressed, and head downstairs. The sun's shining brightly through the windows with the rooster crowing its morning song. Ollie smiles to himself as he never would've thought he'd get used to this sort of life so easily.

Looking across the kitchen over to Clark, who's filling the kettle so he can make them both a nice cup of hot coffee for their morning caffeine dose, Ollie, if only for a split second, imagines a time in the future where they still continue to live here, but some things have changed.

For one thing, they're happily married as Mr. and Mr. Kent-Queen, and to top that, they have two kids…a stunning, young daughter with hair as blonde as his, but with eyes and a smile as beautiful as Clark's, and a teenage son with hair as black as Clark's, a strong physique from helping Clark with the chores on the farm and an unbelievable desire to help others in any ways he can. It was truly a life Ollie thrived for, but until he, Clark, the Justice League and others like them, successfully rid the world of those who intend to destroy it or, least of all, dominate it. It's going to be a long road, but as long as Clark's by his side, Ollie's happy enough.

"Ollie? Are you okay? You spaced out a little, just then," Clark asks, placing Ollie's coffee on the coaster in front of him before returning to the toaster where he'd placed two slices of bread inside.

"Yeah," Ollie replies, shaking his head as though shaking away the thoughts that are currently occupying his mind, "Just thinking about the future actually."

This peaks Clark's interest, pulling the toast out when it's done, and placing it on the bread board, "Oh? Care to enlighten me? 'Cos I'm guessing I have something to do with it, do I not?" He adds with that smile making Ollie feel like he's got butterflies fluttering around in his stomach.

"Of course, but there are a _few _additions to this future of mine, oh, and we're also married…shouldn't forget about that small _detail_."

Clark doesn't say anything, but the blush colouring his cheeks says it all.

"We also have kids, two in fact. A beautiful little girl who has my hair and nose, but has your eyes and that infectious smile, and a teenaged son that looks every bit like you, but has my green eyes. What? What's wrong Clark?" He asks when he can't determine the look on his lover's face as he reveals to him his vision of their future.

"Nothing, nothing's wrong," he replies as a smile gradually forms on his face, "I was just thinking that I'd like that very much…I've actually dreamt about our future a couple of times…a little different to yours, but similar all the same."

Their breakfast together is quiet, but with some small talk, mostly about finding Multiplex before he causes any more damage or hurts any more people before changing the subject to Firestorm. Discussing amongst themselves about asking him to join the Justice League, the more the merrier and all that, but their discussion's cut short when Lois calls up, and informs them that Multiplex has struck again, attacking three different places at once as they speak.

"Looks like our breakfast's cut short. Better get myself down there before Lois gets angry at me for being tardy. I guess I'll be seeing you in a bit," he adds as he washes, dries and puts the dishes away before giving Ollie a big kiss on the lips, "Can't wait to see you in that leather suit. Turns me on so bad," he whispers in Ollie's ear, who swats him away laughing at his young lover, "Get going before I take you on this very table!"

With a curt nod, Clark super-speeds out of the house, en route to Metropolis, leaving Ollie to finish off his toast and make his own way there…preferably in his new green motorcycle that he'd recently bought for a quick means of transport. _If the Dark Knight can have a Bat-mobile, Bat-bike, and Bat-plane, then why can't the Green Arrow?_ He asks himself, grabbing his keys from the side before heading out and locking the door behind him.

* * *

**The Daily Planet, Metropolis, **

When Clark arrives at the Daily Planet, in no time at all, he finds it in utter chaos and not the destructive kind either. Fellow reporters, photographers and photojournalists are hurrying about the place, getting their equipment together, ready to report the latest activities of one "Multiplex".

As he saunters down the stairs towards the basement, he finds Lois nowhere in sight, and come to think of it, he doesn't see Jimmy around either. As a fellow reporter walks by, Clark grabs his attention and asks, "Hey Adrian, have you seen Lois or Jimmy around?"

The guy shakes his head, "No, I'm afraid not, Clark. Maybe some of the others know of their whereabouts," he then disappears into the lift, leaving Clark to enter the "Basement" where he, Lois and other reporters work on a daily basis.

It's just as chaotic inside as it is outside. People rushing about holding folders, answering phones, and tapping at their keyboards, but Clark's only interested on one thing…Lois' desk.

If he knows Lois, and he certainly does, she'd always leave him a note or something telling him where she is, what she's doing, etc, and he finds exactly that stuck to her computer monitor. The yellow post-it note reads in Lois' rushed handwriting: "_Gone to Metropolis' Mercantile Bank with Jimmy. One of Multiplex's dupes has been spotted there. Need to catch up, Smallville!_"

Clark always smiles at her use of her nickname for him, ready to super-speed it to her location when his cell-phone rings. Its caller ID tells him that it's Ollie.

"Hi Ollie, what's up?" He asks, heading back out the "basement", and up the stairs, back outside on his way to meet up with Lois and Jimmy in the Historic District.

"Just calling to say that I'm suited up, and heading to Little Bohemia. Apparently, according to the radio scanner I've installed in this bad boy of mine, one of Multiplex's dupes is causing havoc there, and don't worry about Firestorm. It'd also said that he was spotted taking care of several dupes in Centennial Park."

"I'm heading to the Mercantile Bank in the Historic District to meet up with Lois and Jimmy, and make sure that they're not in any trouble."  
"Or causing it," Ollie teases, earning a smile from Clark as he replies, "I hope not. We need to take care of this fast before people starting getting hurt. We don't want what happened yesterday to happen again."

"And it won't, not with you, me and Firestorm on the case. Okay, I'm gonna have to talk to you later. I'm almost at the bridge to Little Bohemia and, if I remember right, traffic's a bitch to get across so I'm gonna need all my skill to manoeuvre through it without any _distractions_," Ollie smiles, Clark practically seeing it etched across his handsome features.

"It's nice to know that I can distract you with just the sound of my voice," Clark teases this time, to which Ollie responds with a moan, "Just thinking about you gets me distracted. I gotta go now Clark, I can see the bridge up ahead. Love you."

"Okay, love you too," and the two hang up on each other with Ollie, now garbed as Green Arrow, speeding through the stalled traffic while Clark, on the other side of Metropolis, super-speeds it in the direction of the Historic District, hoping that he's not too late in avoiding civilian casualties.

* * *

** Author's Note 2:** Sorry it took so long to upload, and I apologize again for it being so short, but I'll more than make up for it in the next chapter when it'll feature Clark's, as _Nightwing_, Ollie's, as _Green Arrow_, and _Firestorm_'s epic battles with Multiplex's dupes, but which one is the real one?

Thank you to those who've waited so patiently for me to return to this series, and hopefully my muse won't disappear on me for months on end!

Anyway, thank you again, but chow for now! b(^-^)d


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